It’s been awhile since A Lovely Home update. There’s been so much going on. So many details to consider and decisions to make. I work on it or I’m there daily, so I can honestly say it’s become a part-time job. Since I’ve become pregnant, I’ve focused even more on the house, wanting to get as much done while I feel great, have energy and am comfortable! And we’re down to crunch time with the end of October as the expected move-in date.

Here’s a progress update: This is the framing in the front of the house that created a larger Entry and a Dining Room. After framing was finished and the windows were installed, new siding to the addition went up. We, unexpectedly, also had to replace the old siding on much of the house since a lot of it was damaged when the windows were installed. Such is a remodel…Here’s an interior view of the new Entry and Dining Room. With the old single-paned windows gone, these new double-paned windows make a huge difference. They make the house more insulated and up-to-date. And I LOVE large windows! This is the old framing that was covered in redwood. As soon as you walked through the front door, it felt like you walked straight into this panel. Not a good, expansive look.The new panel with a more airy feel. The opening will have a cool, plywood screen, creating a division between the Living and Dining Rooms. The old Kitchen with the redwood ceiling.The new, in progress Kitchen. Some of the redwood ceiling was destroyed and reused in the Master Bathroom, so we added new paneling. Thankfully, after trying out a few samples of wood, we found a fairly inexpensive one that’ll achieve the same texture as redwood when painted.

The great thing about going to the house and taking these pictures, even though it looks messy, is that we can see that progress is slowly, but surely, being made. I have an overall vision of what the house will look like and this helps me envision it even more.

It’s not finished yet, so there will be more details and updates to share! Stay tuned…

Creating a lovely home and a lovely lifeisn’t just about the “big picture”. Exceedingly intelligent and talented men and women agree. Steve Jobs said, “Details matter, it’s worth getting it right.” Charles Eames said, “The details are not the details. They make the design.”

After the largest space we’re remodeling was taken care (the kitchen – see the cabinets and countertops), we shifted our focus to plumbing fixtures. They seem like minor details. They actually play an important role in achieving the look and quality you want.

If you’re doing a total remodel like we are, it’s a good idea to make these selections together. For us that meant everything from the kitchen fixtures, like sink, faucets, pot filler and garbage disposal to the bathroom plumbing fixtures. Making the selections all at once helps you stay consistent with the endless finish options – stainless steel, polished chrome, black + more, as well as with the style.

To go with the look of the home, we chose fixtures in a modern, minimalist style with clean, simple lines, mostly in polished chrome. We used a lot of Hansgrohe and Kohler’s Purist collection. {Master Bath – partial demo}

Besides the standard fixtures for the Master Bathroom (sinks, faucets, shower head, robe hooks), a larger item on our list was a bath tub. I love baths and find them a great, relaxing way to take care of myself, so it was a priority!

These bathrooms and tubs were our inspiration: The symmetrical tub is the focal point, right in front of a beautiful window with a view. Clean & simple egg-shaped tub. Another symmetrical, modern tub with tub filler. Even though I’ve had my eyes set on free-standing tubs, I think this organic-looking stone tub is simply amazing & chic.

When we went looking at PIRCH (I highly recommend you check them out), we got a little lesson on tubs. We learned resin is a preferred material to acrylic. Resin feels sturdier and doesn’t crack as easily. We also learned how important it is to test out tubs, just like you would a new car. Make sure it’s comfortable. It’s a big investment and it’s supposed to be a relaxing place!

We ended up selecting this Aquabrass Caicos free-standing bathtub made out of resin with a glossy white finish. Budget tip: We saved money with the Aquabrass tub versus another one that looked very similar. Just because a tub is more expensive doesn’t exactly mean it’s better. The same goes with other plumbing fixtures.

A lovely life isn’t only about feeling good on the inside. Looking good is just as important. So much so that the two usually go hand in hand.

There’s no better way to look good and feel your best than by emphasizing the great features you have while creating smooth, healthy skin. There are so many fun ways to do that, but of course I love the classic, no-fuss, natural look.

Hair and makeup are not my strong points, so Blown Away was kind enough to help us get a stunning, natural look for Summer. After all, we’re not in the pool or at the beach all day, every day. There are weddings, bachelorette parties, dates and fun dinners with friends.

Blown Away’s products of choice are Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics made of natural, finely ground materials from the earth sans the common irritants found in conventional makeup. Bonus: they provide sun protection. I’m totally for this!

Last week, they showed us how to do a beach wave blowout. Today, makeup artist, Jennifer Nicole, shows us a Summer beauty look on the gorg Lauren Hoekstra. She first applied mineral foundation to even out the skin, then some light eye-enhancing makeup.

Jenni Kayne’s bedroom via Architectural Digest. They have the Eames chair in the original design – Black leather with Palisander finish.

Furnishing a new space in a way you love and as a reflection of you is part of creating a lovely life. For our new home, we need a lot of new furniture. Most of what we had in our previous home doesn’t go with its 70’s architectural vibe. The Master Bedroom, Living Room and Den all need club chairs or side chairs.

I’ve long had my eyes on the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman designed by the husband-and-wife duo, Charles and Ray Eames. Everything about it is so simplistically chic and classic. And, it’s also really comfortable. A win in our book! As I’ve learned from the plethora of recliners in my husband’s house before I moved in, men are all about comfort. Men, including my husband, just might be convinced by the sport reference – the Eames’ desire for the chair was for it to have, in their own words, “the warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt.” I’m thinking the Living Room would be the perfect place for it.

Here are a few iterations of the iconic chair: Black leather with walnut finish via Judith Mackin. The most recliner-like in brown leather. So fresh + clean in ivory vicenza leather with walnut finish via DWR.Another in ivory with walnut finish via DWR.

The mission is to find a chair with a good balance of comfort and style with clean, modern and organic elements. Here are a few additional ones, though unlike the Eames one, that fit the bill for other spaces: West Elm Lucas wire base chair. Room & Board Anson chair.

A lot has been happening at the new house. Once the floor plans were developed and approved, walls started coming down and new framing went up. Before the framing, it looked like an incomprehensible construction zone. But now and the best part about the framing is that it helps you imagine how the rooms will take shape. It also showed us how much work we’re doing, but it’s not called a total remodel + renovation for nothing, right? The wood framing is where the new entry will be. The old built-in bar is now the new entry into the master bedroom.The den with new entry into the pool/powder bath + guest room.

We’ve already chosen the kitchen cabinets (they have the longest lead time & they’re typically the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel!) and countertops. While the demolition and framing is being done, we’ve been working on more details like kitchen appliances and plumbing fixtures. Who knew there would be so much to think about?! I can now give you the lowdown on refrigerators, warming drawers, dishwashers, Wolf vs. Jenn-Air – you name it.

It can be tricky when you’re building or remodeling a home. Of course, you want to go for the nicest appliances, but budget has to come into play, as well as long-term thinking. The chosen appliances might not fit in our planned budget now, but 2-3 years from now will we wish we had chosen them?

To break up the construction part of the project, another item on the to-do list was selecting a dining room light fixture. For me, this is the fun part – anything to do with style + design! There are so many fabulous light fixtures on the market now that anyone with an inkling of taste would swoon over them.

My Style Criteria: A modern chandelier for the dining room table.

Here are a few selections that made me *light up*: {my ultimate chandelier inspiration pic}

This Apparatus Cloud Chandelier ($4,400-$4,850) has caught my eye many times. I think it’s the best combination of sophistication, whimsy & modernity. Every time I look at it, I feel like a kid looking at a cluster of balloons. Yet, at the same time, the cleanliness + chicness of it appeals to my grown-up side. Clearly, it makes me really happy! Another inspo: These cool midcentury, 60’s-inspired orbit-shaped chandeliers in a BDG home. Get the look with this Anthropologie Astra Chandelier ($1,928). I’m really into this Satellite Chandelier by Design Within Reach ($1,325) in a brass finish. This asymmetrical Arteriors Karrington Chandelier with antique brass & glass spheres is also fun & different.

For more great lighting picks, check out this round up by Smitten Studio of more modern, high style chandeliers.

Yesterday we showed how to get this loose, beach wave blowout from Blown Away. What I like about a good blowout is that it doesn’t just last for the day, but my hair looks great 2, 3 days after. It’s, for sure, a timesaver, which is always welcomed!

But, what do you do when you’re going on that 3rd or 4th day and your hair isn’t looking too hot? Or when you don’t feel like wearing your clean hair down? This quick, easy + stylish braid is an alternative to throwing your hair up in a bun or ponytail.

Stylist, Macie, shows us the A Lovely Life braid on our beautiful model and Blown Away regular, Lauren Hoekstra.

The Textured Side French Braid:Start high, near the roots, on the right side. Grab 3 pieces of hair & begin the french braid. We left wisps of hair around the face for the beachy, slightly messy look.Continue grabbing pieces from the right side (they get larger) as you braid towards the base of your head. Braid entire right side. On the left side, leave a section of hair out from the ear forward. Once braid reaches the base (lower center) of your head, keep the ends straight & wrap them into a small bun. Use 2 large bobby pins to secure in place. Grab the section of hair on the left side & make a loose, textured pin curl. Connect the 2 pin curls & secure in place with 2 more bobby pins. Spray UNITE’S TEXTURIZA all over to texturize. We like the messy look so texturizing is a must. You got yourself a braid!

And a special offer just for you…mention A Lovely Life or request the A Lovely Life blowout or braid at Blown Awaytoreceive 10% off your blow dry + style!

This statement might be a stretch, but there’s a good chance it’s not: My quality of life has improved since the arrival of blow dry bars. By now, we’ve all (even you men) heard of a blow dry bar and the term “blowout”. Gone are the days when you have to formally book an appointment at a hair salon whenever you don’t feel like washing and styling your hair yourself. Welcome to the age of convenience (book online & via apps) and of looking everything-ready on any given day.

That’s why shortly after moving to Fresno from Los Angeles, the land of Drybar, I was so thrilled when Blown Away opened! The stylists there have been my savior’s in helping me look and feel polished with the wave of a blow dryer. As hair styling is not my forte, I went to Blown Away to show us a go-to blowout and a quick + easy updo (tomorrow’s post) for Spring + Summer.

As curious beings, it’s always fun and interesting to see what happens behind-the-scenes. Usually, even more so in so-called “glamorous” industries like fashion, beauty and entertainment. Why else do you think magazines like Us Weekly and People fly off the shelves?

And what better way to get the inside scoop than by going behind-the-scenes with a mover and shaker in the beauty & accessories world: Rachel Meis Communications, also known as RMC. RMC is a Public Relations Firm specializing in celebrity wardrobing and editorial placement. I can say from personal and professional experience that they’re a truly amazing and (nice!) team led by CEO + Owner, Rachel Meis, Beauty Executive, Alyssa, and Editorial + Digital Executive, Luna.

Last year, Rachel hired me as a freelancer for RMC, primarily focusing on Celebrity Outreach for the 2014 Awards Season. In case you’re not familiar with Awards Season, in the entertainment world it’s the mad dash of a marathon beginning in January with the People’s Choice Awards and ending in March with ultimate event, The Oscars. The Golden Globes, Grammys, SAG Awards and more are in between.

From the outside it sounds and looks like it’s all about movie stars, designer gowns, jewels, the red carpet, parties and champagne. In reality, it’s a lot of hard work, long hours, persistence and hustle. Thick skin is a plus. Even though it’s not as flawless and fabulous as it appears, if you love fashion, beauty & entertainment, then it’s worth it. From a fruits of labor standpoint, it’s rewarding because you can see the results of your effort – whether the celebrity wears your clients jewelry on the red carpet or if it shows up on the pages of a magazine or blog.

To give us a glimpse into this world, we’re following the team at RMC for a day. Here’s a day in the life of a PR powerhouse (in their words): We start the morning with daily magazine research, looking for our client placement/pieces in the most recent monthly and weekly magazines. We also check online publications, like Refinery29, Who What Wear and The Zoe Report. Once a week, Luna makes editorial collages to send to all the magazine/blog editors with our “new arrivals” or lookbooks. She gets inspiration from current collages in magazines to see how we can better improve our own and keep up with the latest trends. It’s key to know who the editors are at each magazine. An editor might leave one publication for another or a new one might join the magazine, so we consistently check the mastheads. (Note: a masthead is a list of the roles of everyone at the publication.) It also helps us discover new stylists to work with. During our magazine research we found our client, LivHaley, worn on Brittany Snow! And credited!! There’s no job too small. After picking up flowers from the store, Luna arranges them for that night’s RMC-produced networking event.On the flower vases, social media reminders were attached so everyone stays connected during the event and shares their favorite moments! Being social media savvy is part of the job. The simple + chic final flower arrangement.The final event set up! A few years ago, I (Rachel) heard lots of people in the industry say how hard it is to meet nice people in LA. This inspired me to create this networking event. I started by getting all my nice industry friends together. We call it the Nice Girls Club LA. It used to be 12 girls, but this time we had over 20 attendees, gift bags and even sponsors (Loft & Bear, Hask Hair, Purse Case, and Cycle House LA), which was so crazy and exciting! It was held at The District by Hannah An. Stylists began to get in touch to borrow pieces for their celebrity clients for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. We send options and they pick their favorites. RMC will even deliver the chosen pieces to the stylists. Anything to make their life a little easier!We like to go to lunch the day after events to discuss new connections made, goals for the next event and chit chat about our favorite moments. This time we had our post-event lunch at Thyme Cafe & Market.

And it doesn’t end there. In between all of these images, Rachel, Alyssa and Luna are constantly keeping in touch with editors/stylists over email. This includes:

setting up pick up times.

sending options for events and appearances from pieces we have in-house.

asking how photo shoots went.

sending credit information to publications.

They are busy girls on-the-go! If you want to hear + see more of their daily adventures, follow RMC on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook!

In the last kitchen post, I talked about how in a remodel multitasking is key. While we were working on the kitchen layout and cabinetry, BDG started to show us material selections for ALL the rooms. That includes countertops, tiles, paint colors, flooring, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures and more.

They typically prepare a vision board with samples and images of the various materials. Since I went to their office and we wanted to get a lot accomplished in one meeting, they had a “vision table” ready. Literally, an entire table covered in potential materials for the house! There was a lot to look at, but it was really helpful to see it all together and it gave me a “feel” of the overall theme of the house. Also, when selections are narrowed down and in front of me, I’m pretty quick to edit.

Let’s continue with the kitchen… {Kitchen floor plan}

I’m obsessed with waterfall countertops, also called a riser. In almost every kitchen picture I saved as inspiration there was a waterfall counter. It became a “must” for our kitchen remodel. If you’re not familiar with them, Granite Grannies, a custom counter fabricator, says they’re “a fresh addition to a kitchen (or bathroom) because it breaks away from the expected horizontal countertops. The stone continues vertically down the sides of the island, creating a wonderful flow. This ties the countertops to the floor, giving the whole space a unified, connected feeling.” Since we’re keeping the existing aggregate flooring in the space, a light-colored waterfall counter will brighten up the space and add some movement.

We have both an island and a peninsula in the new kitchen design, giving us two options on where to incorporate the waterfall edge. The peninsula is larger, more visible from the other rooms and is, overall, more of a statement piece, so we chose to do the waterfall edge there.

To find the “perfect” slab for the peninsula, Diego suggested I first take a look at Fresno Marble & Granite. He’s had good luck there in the past. The mission: to find a slab of marble with a white background, not cream, but a pure white. This is a beautiful one with heavy movement. Diego says, “This is a more expensive material (and looks it!) and will reveal beautifully on that waterfall edge. One thing to watch out for is if it’s seamed anywhere that does not follow the natural grain, you’ll have an offset look. This would be the only downside. They should show you how the cuts line up.”Another one I found is this Statuario slab. Diego’s thoughts on it are “there’s nice, clean white in there and any seams will be less noticeable. It’s a classic material so you can’t go wrong there.”

I also wondered about going with marble or quartzite countertops. A lot of people love marble because it’s so elegant and beautiful. When they love it, they really love it! They say it lasts forever, but you do have to be okay with it not looking brand-new forever. Then, I’ve also heard great things about quartzite. With this being a big investment and not knowing the difference between the two, I did some research:

Porous, so can stain more easily and requires more maintenance. It can be scratched by acids (citrus, coffee, alcohol, some cleaning products) even if you seal it. But, if you’re vigilant about spills and seal your counters a few times a year, marble is a good option.

Lovely Search

A Lovely Life

Welcome to A Lovely Life! I’m happy you’ve stopped by. My intention of A Lovely Life is to provide an expansive & uplifting realm where you will find daily inspirational guidance to create the life you love. One of my big goals is to give you practical skills to create a lovely life, whether it be through self-care practices, great advice I have learned along the way, a delicious recipe, or beauty + style inspiration & tips.

Latest Instagram #a.lovely.life

No images found! Try some other hashtag or username

A Lovely Life

A Lovely Life is an expansive and uplifting realm where you will find daily inspirational guidance to create the life you love. Every day gives you the opportunity to find the gifts and see the silver linings in life, which are the keys to creating A Lovely Life.Read More…